Naruto: I Roamed the Ninja World as a Woman

Chapter 196 The First Ray of Light Begins with Me

"Would you be willing to become my disciple?"

In front of the commemorative monument.

Hanzo the Salamander turned to look at the girl in front of him and asked the question solemnly.

The so-called title of Shadow.

Not only must a ninja be powerful, but they must also be ambitious and have lofty aspirations, capable of shouldering the responsibilities of the entire ninja village.

This is his understanding of rain shadows.

Hanzo is not lacking in strength.

Although he is getting older and his condition is declining uncontrollably.

But he had to admit it.

The more fatal point is that, without realizing it, one has lost the ambition to bear everything.

The Second Shinobi World War lasted for more than two years.

In the past two years, the Land of Rain first failed in its southward attempt to invade Sunagakure, and then failed in its eastward attempt to invade Konoha.

Both strategic operations ended in failure, yielding no results and costing thousands of lives.

And the salamander is Hanzo himself.

During this period, I witnessed the rise of one young ninja after another.

The three legendary Konoha ninja who could team up against him on the battlefield —

During my visit to the Land of Wind, I encountered Magnet Release: Rasa, Scorch Release: Pyakura, and the puppeteer Sasori.

Might Guy and Minato Namikaze, the perennial genin from the Chunin Exams —

One after another, new faces emerged in the ninja world.

In Hanzo's heart, a sense of melancholy inevitably arose—the weariness of a hero, the constant replacement of the old with the new.

Meanwhile, during the subsequent peace talks.

Hanzo the Salamander then came into contact with the Third Tsuchikage and the Third Hokage, two leaders of a great nation.

What's even more ingenious is...

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Onoki were in completely opposite situations.

One is a place where outstanding talents emerge in abundance, making it difficult to choose a successor, which leads to factional infighting and fighting among Konoha's factions.

One reason is that he feels that no one else is quite up to par, and he doesn't feel comfortable handing over the position of Tsuchikage to anyone else, so he has no choice but to hold on to the position himself.

This two-pronged approach was adopted.

After witnessing the plight of these two, Hanzo of the Salamander, as the leader of Amegakure, learned from their experience and naturally conceived the idea of ​​taking on disciples and establishing a successor.

not to mention----

Not just Amegakure, but the entire Land of Rain!

And who could be more suitable as his successor than the girl before him?

The only problem now is—

Whether the other party is willing to take on this heavy responsibility of Yu Yin.

The old man gazed at Ayane Amamiya.

He was clearly the one in a superior position between the two.

Therefore, even with Hanzo's composure, a sense of unease inevitably arose in his heart after asking that question.

Ayane Amamiya never expected this.

Why would their leader suddenly say such things in this situation?

She glanced at Hanzo the Salamander.

The shadow cast by the stone tablet behind him obscured most of the other person's face, with only his weathered eyes faintly visible in the night, his pupils filled with solemnity and seriousness.

In fact, although Ayane Amamiya and Hanzo are not officially master and disciple, they are in fact master and disciple.

For example, one of Hanzo's signature ninjutsu is the Water Flicker Technique.

Ayane Amamiya had already mastered it!

Another example is Hanzo's exclusive summon, the Salamander, Ibuki.

Ayane Amamiya can also be summoned and commanded at will!

The other party had given him detailed guidance in swordsmanship, taijutsu, and the Water Release chakra mode.

and so.

If it's just about becoming an apprentice, she not only has no objection to it, but is even somewhat eager to do so.

However, Hanzo made his point very clear.

"To lead Amegakure, to the Land of Rain, to fulfill the dreams of all the living and the dead in the future—"

Keep moving forward!

The meaning behind this is self-evident.

It goes far beyond a simple master-disciple relationship!

From the perspective of the Kage of the ninja village, this is the selection of the next successor; from the perspective of the Daimyo of the Rain, this is the selection of the crown prince of a country!

The girl took a deep breath.

In that instant, she actually thought of many things.

For example, his childhood in the countryside, his lonely school years after his parents passed away, and the ruthless killing and slaughter after becoming a ninja.

But these chaotic fragments of memory quickly vanished from his mind after he met Hanzo's eyes.

In Ayane Amamiya's heart, only one answer remained.

"I am willing to bear your will—"

The girl sat down facing the kneeling figure.

She took the Storm Cutter from her waist, its blade straight, and placed it in front of her.

Then, looking directly into Hanzo's eyes, and at the tall, heavy stone monument behind him, he solemnly promised, "I am also willing to do everything in my power to protect this land and lead its people towards a brighter tomorrow!"

"Without light, there is no shadow."

"And what is called rain shadow."

She finally had the chance to utter the words that had been buried in her heart for so long: "I want to become the first ray of light to pierce the thick veil of this rain kingdom!"

Hanzo the Salamander stared intently at her.

The old man neither questioned nor affirmed her statement, but instead asked in return, "Did the first ray of light begin with you?"

"The first ray of light began with me!"

Ayane Amamiya answered decisively and with great confidence.

Even the surrounding darkness could not suppress the girl's soaring spirit!

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Hanzo the Salamander laughed heartily, his voice carrying far and wide.

He was not offended by the other party's words; on the contrary, at this moment, he was extremely satisfied with his choice of successor.

So what if we lost before?

Perhaps in a few years, the outcome will still be uncertain!

"Wait until after the New Year holiday."

"I will personally conduct your Jonin promotion examination in the village."

Hanzo the Salamander made a decisive statement: "After the assessment, I will announce to everyone my decision to accept you as my disciple."

"in addition----"

He seemed to suddenly remember something, paused deliberately, and then kept everyone in suspense: "There will be another surprise then, so you can look forward to it."

"Why are you so late? We've been waiting for you for ages!"

When I got home.

Everyone had already taken care of everything for the New Year, except for her, who was in charge.

Ayane Amamiya scratched her head, looking somewhat apologetic, and said, "Ah—well, something came up, I'm sorry!"

Seeing her solemn expression, Takenaka Rin assumed that the young girl was feeling sentimental and missing her loved ones at the cemetery.

Her heart softened, and she immediately regretted her questioning earlier.

"It's not too late."

Yakushi Nonou smoothed things over, saying, "Hurry up and wash your hands, let's get ready to eat. This New Year's Eve dinner took Mei and me a lot of effort to prepare!"

For this sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner, she and Terumi Mei were the head chefs, while the others were just assistants.

Actually, their personal experiences are quite similar.

They were all from other countries, and they all came to Amegakure for their own reasons.

The only difference is that one has long since let go of Konoha, while the other still harbors feelings for Kirigakure.

Ayane Amamiya perked up.

She raised an eyebrow, suppressing the heaviness in her heart, and quickly returned to her usual clever and playful style.

The girl coughed, then deliberately looked at someone and said loudly, "Do you have turtle soup? I'll be unhappy if you don't!"

"Don't eat sea turtles!"

No sooner had she finished speaking than Takenaka Rin immediately shouted in dissatisfaction, "Turtles are so cute, why eat them?!"

"Hahahaha—" Everyone burst into laughter.

"It's okay."

Ayane Amamiya smirked and said provocatively, "After you leave, I'll sneak some food at home!"

Takenaka Rin is really too busy.

She has to attend two events.

I'll have my New Year's Eve dinner here first, and then go home to spend time with my dad.

Takenaka Rin was furious. Without saying a word, she stretched out her claws to grab her.

Amidst the playful banter, everyone sat down around the dining table.

Ayane Amamiya has never liked giving speeches that are full of formalism.

But looking at the people at the table in front of her, she couldn't help but feel a little excited. She was the first to raise her glass and say, "It's been so long since I've had such a lively New Year!"

Yahiko immediately clapped and cheered obsequiously, "Well said!"

The girl glared at him: "What do you mean 'well'? I haven't finished speaking yet!"

She stood up, looked at everyone, and smiled happily: "There are too many things to say, I only hope that every year from now on, everyone can be as peaceful and joyful as today—"

'

'

"May everything go smoothly and without worries!" After hearing the first half of the sentence, everyone unanimously replied with the second half of the blessing.

Amidst laughter and cheerful chatter, Ayane Amamiya laughed heartily and downed the juice in her cup in one gulp.

Although I didn't drink alcohol.

But she was already somewhat drunk.

The statement I made to Hanzo earlier, "The first ray of light began with me," was not some wild boast.

It was Ayane Amamiya's truest feeling!

The girl knew.

I may not be a brilliant leader, and I may not be able to understand politics or master the art of power.

But looking at the smiling crowd in front of him...

She was absolutely certain that she could make Yu Yin and her friends better and better!

After the New Year's Eve dinner, it's time to stay up all night.

Ninjas are all superhuman in physique; when they get busy, they can't sleep for days and nights.

It's just a simple matter of staying up all night on New Year's Eve, nothing to worry about.

However, this kind of activity is just for sending blessings, so there's no need to actually stay up all night.

So after midnight, Ayane Amamiya, having heard the New Year's bells, was the first to yawn and get up: "Are you guys still going to stay up all night? I'm going to rest now."

Yahiko and Nagato were engaged in a battle of wits on the shogi board when they heard this. They didn't say anything, but simply waved their hands to indicate that they knew.

Mei Terumi was whispering to Nono on the sofa, and when she heard this, she simply responded with a "goodnight."

Only Xiao Nan is different.

Seeing Ayane Amamiya go upstairs, the girl immediately followed her.

After a quick rinse in the bathroom, Ayane Amamiya used Wind Release to dry her hair, changed into her pajamas, and then casually collapsed onto the bed.

"Yo!"

A cry of pain came from under the covers.

Ayane Amamiya was dumbfounded: "Minami, what are you doing here?"

Xiao Nan stammered, looking for an excuse: "Um, I'm not a good sleeper—"

She stammered for a long time, but the reasons she came up with couldn't even convince herself, so she finally gave up and confessed, "Ayane-nee, I want to sleep with you tonight!"

"Is that all?"

Ayane Amamiya chuckled upon hearing this: "I thought it was something else—just say it!"

She snuggled into the covers, rolled around happily, then leaned against the headboard and opened her arms wide towards Xiao Nan.

The blue-haired girl immediately giggled and jumped into his arms, hugging Ayane Amamiya's arm. She whispered, "Ayane-neechan, you smell so good—"

"Is that so?"

Ayane Amamiya also sniffed at her collar, but only smelled the scent of shower gel.

She raised her sharp, arched eyebrows and casually explained, "Because in life, the most important things are the timing and the spices, so I've always paid close attention to that."

Xiao Nan was initially stunned upon hearing this.

But she quickly realized what she meant and burst into laughter.

Perhaps due to her past experiences of wandering, her face has always had a somewhat sorrowful appearance.

In her past life, when watching anime, Ayane Amamiya always felt that...

Little South America is beautiful, but her temperament carries a certain melancholy, like that of a wronged widow, evoking pity.

However, seeing her cheerful appearance now, Ayane Amamiya felt that Minami was even more beautiful this way.

The girl sincerely said, "It looks better this way—"

Konan blinked: "What did you say, Ayane-nee?"

Ayane Amamiya whispered in her ear, "I said, your smile is really beautiful!"

Xiao Nan blushed instantly, too embarrassed to speak, but she was overjoyed.

I know Xiao Nan is shy.

Ayane Amamiya didn't tease her too much.

The girl stretched out her hand and used the Vajra Lock remote control switch to turn off the bedroom light, leaving only a warm-colored bedside lamp.

The lights were dim, and the atmosphere instantly became somewhat tranquil.

In the tranquility, Xiao Nan's shyness gradually dissipated.

She asked in a barely audible whisper, "Ayane-nee, tomorrow is the official day, we're going to the shrine to pray, will you be going?"

"I'm going," Ayane Amamiya nodded.

"My family is exchanging greeting cards the day after tomorrow, will you write one for me?"

"Of course! Should I give you New Year's money?"

"And the day after tomorrow? The day after tomorrow we'll be making mirror cakes and cooking seven-herb porridge. Drinking it will bring longevity and good health—"

"Go! But you'll have to teach me how to make this porridge—"

Minami kept asking questions, but Ayane Amamiya didn't show any impatience and answered them all.

She looked down at the other person.

Xiao Nan was staring at him intently, her eyes sparkling.

The girl sighed, reached out and wiped away the tears from the corner of her eyes, and said softly, "It's the first day of the new year. For the sake of your mother, the Sage of Six Paths, don't be a little crybaby."

"I'm not a crybaby!"

Xiao Nan quickly wiped her eyes and explained softly, "I just... I just feel like my life right now is a little unreal—"

After saying that, she asked with some confusion, "What does this have to do with the Sage of Six Paths' mother?"

Amamiya Ayane thought to herself: Of course, it's because Kaguya Otsutsuki also loves to cry.

Instead of explaining, she changed the subject, asking, "Did you make the paper-cut window decorations?"

Xiao Nan was instantly tickled.

The girl said proudly, "Ayane-nee, did you recognize the three people on the paper-cut window decorations? Who are they?"

Ayane Amamiya glanced at them and realized that the three people were herself, Konan, and Risa Takenaka.

She couldn't help but admire Xiao Nan's skillful hands.

Some people's hands are just born to make balls, like Naruto Uzumaki.

Xiao Nan's hands were born to create such works of art (because explosions are art, so detonating tags are naturally works of art too)!

She was about to praise him.

But then he squinted and looked out the window, noticing something unusual in the darkness.

This is----

Seeing the situation clearly, Ayane Amamiya didn't have time to speak before she shoved Konan into the blanket!

The next moment, Takenaka Ri's little head peeked out of the window furtively.

She pressed her face against the window, tapping on the glass and mouthing the words.

"Open the door—no, open the window!"

Ayane Amamiya was convinced.

Didn't this guy go home?

She got out of bed, opened the window, and let the other person in.

"It's all your fault!"

As soon as Takenaka Rin entered, she complained angrily, "After staying here for so long, I don't even recognize my own bed anymore! I toss and turn and can't fall asleep!"

Ayane Amamiya fell silent upon hearing this.

It seems that Xiao Nan just said the same thing —

She sorted out the logic and asked curiously, "But if you're not comfortable sleeping in a particular bed, why did you come to my room?"

Takenaka Rin blushed.

"Mind your own business!"

She ripped off her thick coat at lightning speed, revealing her pajamas underneath, then let out a soft moan and darted into bed: "So warm! It feels so good to have someone warm the bed—"

"Wait!" Ayane Amamiya hurriedly reached out to stop her.

But it was already too late.

Takenaka Rin stared at Minami hiding under the covers, then asked, "Minami! What are you doing here?"

Xiao Nan was extremely embarrassed, her mind a complete mess.

As if possessed, she seemed to remember something and hurriedly explained, "Sister Li, I—I came to bring turtle soup to Sister Ayane—"

Takenaka Rin didn't say anything.

She turned her head and glanced at Ayane Amamiya, who had a smirk on her face, her gaze particularly fierce.

So the previous statement wasn't a joke.

You actually sneaked food while I was away?!